Jacob Agee said it was impossible to be in a bad mood around Dorser, because Dorser would tease and goad someone incessantly until they cracked a smile.

Dorser had some run-ins with the law during his life, but Jacob Agee said Dorser had turned his life around in recent years, gotten clean, landed a good job working on cars and become a role model for others who were struggling.

Jacob Agee asked the Springfield community to not judge his brother by what shows up after a search on Case.Net, Missouri's online court records system.

"He deserved for everybody to know that he wasn't this hardcore criminal that everybody thinks," Jacob Agee said. "He had the biggest heart I've ever known and will help anybody with anything."

Jacob Agee said Dorser was inspired to turn his life around after his father died, and he became "a big teddy bear, almost" over the last few years.

"Ever since then, he's just been my best friend, my role model," Jacob Agee said.

Another of Dorser's cousins, Latashia Masten, agreed that Dorser put his family first. She recalled a time after her grandmother's funeral that Dorser made a passionate speech about the importance of family before buying everyone's meal.

"Craig was big on family," Masten said. "He was always putting everyone before himself, even strangers. He never turned his back on anyone and would help out in a time of need with no questions asked."

Since the suspect in Dorser's killing is a juvenile, police have not released his name. His initial court appearance has been scheduled for Monday in Greene County. The case could eventually be transferred to adult court.